Sunrise (Australian TV program) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sunrise
Genre	Breakfast news program
Presented by	David Koch Natalie Barr Edwina Bartholomew Mark Beretta Sam Mac
Opening theme	(Reach Up for The) Sunrise by Duran Duran
Composer(s)	Simon Le Bon John Taylor Roger Taylor Andy Taylor James Bates
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	31
No. of episodes	5,000+
Production
Executive producer(s)	Sean Power
Production location(s)	Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales
Running time	210 minutes (3.5 hours)
Release
Original network	Seven Network
Picture format	PAL HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	14 January 1991 (1991-01-14) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Weekend Sunrise The Morning Show

Sunrise is a popular Australian TV show. It airs every morning on the Seven Network. This show helps people start their day with news and fun segments. It is currently hosted by David Koch and Natalie Barr. The program runs from 5:30 am to 9:00 am. It comes on after Seven Early News and before The Morning Show.

The History of Sunrise TV Show

David Koch, a long-time host of Sunrise.

Natalie Barr, one of the current hosts.

Sunrise first started way back on January 14, 1991. It began as a news update during the Gulf War. In 1996, it became a one-hour show called Sunrise News. Later, it was just called Sunrise.

In 1997, Melissa Doyle joined the show as a presenter. She became a very well-known face on Sunrise. The show was even cancelled for a short time in 1999. It was replaced by a children's show. But news updates still aired during that time.

How Sunrise Became Popular

In 2002, Sunrise was relaunched. Chris Reason and Melissa Doyle were the hosts. Later that year, David Koch joined as a temporary host. He soon became a permanent host.

After Koch joined, the show changed to be more family-friendly. It focused less on serious news. This helped Sunrise become very popular. In 2003, Natalie Barr started presenting the news. Grant Denyer joined to do weather reports. Mark Beretta came back to present sports news.

The show moved to new studios in Martin Place, Sydney, in 2004. This new location allowed viewers to see the show live from the street.

Changes Over the Years

Sunrise got new sets and graphics in 2007 and again in 2010. These changes helped keep the show looking fresh. In 2013, Melissa Doyle left Sunrise after 14 years. Samantha Armytage took her place as co-host with David Koch.

In 2016, Sunrise started 30 minutes earlier at 5:30 am. This matched the start time of its main rival show. Edwina Bartholomew became the news presenter. Sam Mac took over as the new weather presenter.

In 2021, Samantha Armytage left the show. Natalie Barr officially became the new co-host with David Koch. Edwina Bartholomew then became the main news presenter.

Special Editions of Sunrise

Sunrise sometimes airs special editions for big events. This includes covering major news stories. For example, they covered the Iraq war in 2003. They also covered the 2007 and 2010 elections.

The show has also covered natural disasters. This includes the 2010-2011 Queensland and Victorian floods. They also reported live from Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake. In 2014, they covered the Sydney hostage crisis.

On September 9, 2022, Sunrise aired a special long edition. This was to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The hosts wore black to show respect.

Musical Guests on Sunrise

US pop singer Ava Max meeting fans outside the Sunrise studios.

Many famous musical artists have performed live on Sunrise. They often meet fans outside the studio afterwards. Sometimes, they even perform on a special stage in Martin Place. These performances usually happen in the morning.

Weekend Sunrise Show

In 2005, the Seven Network launched Weekend Sunrise. It started as a one-hour show on Sundays. It had a similar style to the weekday Sunrise.

The show became very popular. So, in 2006, it was extended to two hours. In 2010, Weekend Sunrise also started airing on Saturdays. This meant it was on both weekend mornings.

Andrew O'Keefe and Samantha Armytage were early hosts of Weekend Sunrise. Later, Monique Wright became a permanent co-host. In 2019, Matt Doran joined as a co-host.

As of 2022, Monique Wright and Matt Doran are the main hosts. Sally Bowrey and James Tobin present the news, sport, and weather.

How Sunrise Works

Sunrise is like many other breakfast TV shows. It mixes news updates every 30 minutes with interviews. It also has fun and light-hearted segments.

The hosts sometimes present the show from different places. They have broadcast from Hawaii, Las Vegas, and even Disneyland. They also visit places in Australia like Dreamworld.

Viewers can share their thoughts on stories. They can send emails, SMS, or use social media like Facebook and Twitter. There's even a "ROSwall" where viewers' comments are shown.

News and Traffic Updates

Sunrise used to have local news updates for different cities. These were removed in 2008. Now, traffic reports are shown several times during the show. These reports help people know about traffic in big cities. They are often presented from a helicopter.

Local News for Western Australia

Since 2015, Western Australia has its own local news updates. These updates are presented from Seven's Perth studios. They help viewers in WA get news specific to their time zone. Matt Tinney is the main presenter for these updates.

Who Works on Sunrise

Here are the main people who host Sunrise:

Other Presenters

Many other people fill in when the main hosts are away. Some current fill-in hosts include Edwina Bartholomew, Monique Wright, and Matt Doran.

For news, Monique Wright and Sally Bowrey often fill in. For sport, Matt Shirvington and Mel McLaughlin are common fill-ins. For weather, James Tobin often steps in.

Sunrise Reporters

Sunrise has reporters in different cities and countries. They help bring news from all over the world.

Regular Guests and Experts

Sunrise also has regular guests who share their knowledge.

Past Hosts of Sunrise

Many talented people have hosted Sunrise over the years.

Melissa Doyle was a co-host for many years. She left in 2013 for a new role at the Seven Network. Samantha Armytage then became the co-host. In 2021, Samantha Armytage left, and Natalie Barr took her place.

Ratings of Sunrise

Sunrise and its main competitor, Today on the Nine Network, are often very close in viewer numbers. Sunrise has been a very strong performer in the ratings for many years.

In 2016, Sunrise was in second place for a year. But it quickly got back to being the top breakfast show the next year.

How Sunrise is Broadcast

Australia has different time zones. So, Sunrise is not always shown live across the whole country. It is delayed in some areas.

For example, Sydney, Melbourne, and other eastern states get the show live. But in Queensland, it's delayed by an hour during Daylight Saving Time. Western Australia sees the show delayed by two or three hours. This makes sure everyone can watch it at a good time in their morning.

Sometimes, the broadcast changes for special reasons. For instance, in 2006, Sunrise was shown live in Queensland. This was to give immediate updates on a big cyclone.

Theme Song of Sunrise

Sunrise has used the song "(Reach Up for the) Sunrise" by Duran Duran as its main theme song for many years. It was replaced for a short time in 2010 but came back in 2011.

Images for kids

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  Sunrise logo from 2002–2004

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  Sunrise logo from 2004–2007

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  Sunrise logo from 2007–2010

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  Sunrise logo from 2010–2016

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  Sunrise logo from 2016–2021